Can Feyenoord dare to dream under Bronckhorst’s revolution?

The refreshing sight of a new team at the summit of the league table often opens the door for a debate about a new pecking order for years to come.

Feyenoord are no tiny club but the past decade and a half has certainly not been kind to them and as the title drought continued, it was difficult to argue against their shrinking status amongst the big boys.

Heading into the 2016/17 campaign, there were aspirations of finishing in the top three as usual but winning the title was always too much of an ask when you consider the fact that Jerzy Dudek was the starting goalkeeper the last time that feat occurred.

Even so, under the guidance of the sharp-witted Giovanni van Bronckhorst, there must have been some belief – subtly at least – that Feyenoord had a shot at the Dutch crown.

After all, in his first full season, Van Bronckhorst had managed to bring home the KNVB Cup and therefore going one step further by aiming for the title had to be the mentality of any ambitious manager.

The former Barcelona defender frequently displayed the traits of a winning leader during his playing days and it is of little surprise that he has reintroduced that approach at De Kuip.

From the first kick of the season in August which saw them dismantle FC Groningen 5-0 to the last kick in May as they saw off Heracles 3-1, Feyenoord, spearheaded by the vastly experienced Dirk Kuyt, played like a side on a mission

And that mission was to redefine their standards.

After being crowned champions of the Eredivisie for the first time in 18 years, every fan of the club has the right to envision a gradual journey back to the top of European football.

It would be remarkably naive to suggest that Feyenoord are suddenly closing in on the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid around Europe, but their rare involvement in the Champions League this season could be used as a springboard towards mega success.

Under the stewardship of a young and abundantly gifted manager like Van Bronckhorst, there is enough reason to believe the challenge is going from usurping the likes of Ajax and PSV Eindhoven to actually rubbing shoulders with the continent’s top dogs once again.

The next blessing the club critically needs is gaining some financial muscle in order to acquire the services of players who will be able to iron out any rough edges the current squad has.

The refreshing sight of a new team at the summit of the league table often opens the door for a debate about a new pecking order for years to come.
Feyenoord are no tiny club but the past decade and a half has certainly not been kind to them and...